


the moments that stay

by abellyofjelly



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, M/M, and it's really mostly just an ode to casual intimacy, college hockey player jack, frat boy connor, it's a halloween fic!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-06 03:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21219665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abellyofjelly/pseuds/abellyofjelly
Summary: He’s in the middle of texting a reminder to the senior in charge of picking up the kegs when Jack finally comes out. His hair is wet, matted to his forehead, and he’s smiling broadly in his post-win haze. Connor loves him like this. Connor maybe loves him all the time, but that’s not something they’ve said out loud yet. For now, the word love always came with qualifiers..Or the one where Connor just wants to plan a rockin' Halloween party and have fun with his boyfriend.





	the moments that stay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cjmasim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjmasim/gifts).

> I have no excuse. I absolutely, absolutely, do NOT go here, and yet here I am. Blame Katrina? Who was also lovely enough to beta this on a rush job. Happy Halloween y'all.
> 
> Title from Remember When by the Wallows, but it was written to I Wear Glasses by Mating Ritual.

Connor hasn’t ever been able to figure out what Jack’s big issue with having the Halloween party on Friday is anyway. 

.

“Why can’t you have it on Saturday this year?” Jack asks.

“Alpha Delt  _ always _ has their Halloween party on the Friday before Halloween, Jack. You know that.”

“It’s just stupid,” Jack says. “I understand that you frat boys take everything like that seriously, but it’s just a day of the week.”

Connor bristles for a moment before relaxing his shoulders. It’s the kind of comment that used to start fights between them, until the end of their first semester when they realized that maybe the reason they liked fighting so much was that it was the only time they got to be around each other.

“I’m Social Chair now, Jack. It’s my literal job to uphold the traditions of the frat.”

Jack rolls his eyes, but it’s fond, “Yeah yeah I know, first sophomore to have an upper leadership position since 1987.”

Connor grins and leans in to give Jack a quick kiss. “You know it. Now, I have Calc, and you have practice. Wanna meet up at Coffee Grinds tonight to study together?”

“Yeah,” Jack says, then softer, “But you really could move the party to Saturday.”

Connor laughs, touches his fingertips to Jack’s wrist as he gets up, and shakes his head no.

.

Jack doesn’t really mention the day of the party again in the next few weeks, although he gets a weird look on his face every time Connor brings it up. Connor knows that frat stuff isn’t really Jack’s thing, but he normally helps Connor come up with ideas at the very least.

Thursday night, the hockey team has a rare weeknight home game. Connor’s in the student section diligently wearing Jack’s away jersey and feeling pretty proud that he has absolutely everything organized for tomorrow.

Jack gets both a goal and an assist, BU wins, and Connor cheers and heads down to the hallway of the locker room where he knows Jack will be out soon. He’s in the middle of texting a reminder to the senior in charge of picking up the kegs when Jack finally comes out. 

His hair is wet, matted to his forehead, and he’s smiling broadly in his post-win haze. Connor loves him like this. Connor maybe loves him all the time, but that’s not something they’ve said out loud yet. For now, the word love always came with qualifiers.

There’s the normal congratulations exchange, the usual way that Jack settles his hand onto Connor’s hip like he wants to pull him in right then and there, and Connor’s a bit drunk with the feeling, as practiced as he is with it.

Gryz comes up to them, and Connor can practically see the C on Matt’s chest even when he’s not wearing it.

“You guys got big plans for tomorrow night?” Gryz asks.

“Yeah for sure,” Connor answers. “Alpha Delta Halloween party; we’re going as Ferris Bueller and Cameron.”

Gryz looks surprised. “Oh really? Just a Halloween party, nothing for-”

But Jack cuts in before Gryz can finish the sentence. “Yeah, just Halloween. Speaking of which, Connor, let’s head back to my dorm so you can help me with something on my costume.”

Gryz and Jack have half a conversation with no words, and Connor watches, keeping his mouth shut.

“What was that all about?” he asks as they walk back to Jack’s dorm, cold air hitting everywhere except for where his hand is clasped with Jack’s.

“Oh nothing, Gryz just expecting us to do something for the team I guess.”

Connor lets it go. Jack really does have an issue with his costume because somehow he doesn’t have a single plain white t-shirt to wear under the leopard print vest, so they end up making a Target run at midnight, and Connor forgets all about it.

.

Jack shows up early as usual to help Connor with set-up. Usually that just means making sure the right doors and cabinets are locked, but for Halloween there are a couple bags of decorations that are expected to go up as well. 

“Thanks again for helping,” Connor says as Jack balances on the arm of the couch to hang a bat from the ceiling.

Jack secures it with a piece of tape. “Always babe, yeah?”

It’s more tender than Jack normally gets, and once Jack gets off the couch, Connor presses him back into it so they can take a five minute break from decorating. 

.

Connor’s got a fucking Red Wings jersey on, which 1) shows his dedication 2) absolutely cannot get back to anyone in Canada. But he and Jack look good, look like a couple for their first Halloween together, and as Connor takes in the party around him, he feels pride bubbling up in his chest. His sophomore year is kicking ass so far- he’s got a great boyfriend, great friends, and he’s actually accomplishing his goals.

Connor is talking about the latest Celtics game with one of the brothers, so he only half notices when that freshman Charlie from the hockey team comes up to talk to Jack. When he drifts back into the conversation, they’re discussing the power play. 

At a lull in the conversation, Charlie suddenly straightens. “Oh shit man, I just remembered! I forgot to tell you at practice today, but happy birthday!”

Connor laughs out loud, moves to reach for Charlie’s drink because he must be a lot drunker than he’d seemed if he’s saying something like that. 

Except Jack isn’t laughing. He says a quick, “Thanks man,” before darting a glance over to Connor.

“Yeah, nasty nineteen and all that,” Charlie says, oblivious to the way Connor is about two seconds from throwing up on his shoes despite having only had water to drink.

“Mhm yeah, real nasty. Oh is that Matt over there?” Jack says, sending Charlie into the crowd, hand tightening around Connor’s wrist.

Jack maneuvers them upstairs and into Connor’s room which is a pretty great feat considering Connor’s brain is basically just playing a greatest hits of everything he’s ever done wrong, trying desperately to find one thing that’s worse than forgetting the birthday of his boyfriend of 10 months. 

When Jack finally gets them settled onto the edge of Connor’s bed, locking the door behind them, he grabs Connor’s hand again and says, “Don’t freak out.”

“I- Jack-  _ fuck _ I fucked up. I’m so sorry, I know you must have told me at some point, but I’m just -  _ fuck.” _

“It’s really not a big deal, babe. This wasn’t like, a test. If I’d wanted you to know, I would have told you. But you were so excited about the party, I just didn’t want to take away from that.”

Last year on Connor’s birthday, Jack had met him outside the door of his last class and driven them an hour out of the city to a little skiing area that had been set up for sledding, complete with hot chocolate and a little cabin where they could go in and get warm before Jack drove them back, Connor asleep in the car, so they could go to class the next day. They’d been dating for a month.

Connor hadn’t even said the words happy birthday.

“Fuck the party,” Connor says, standing up from the bed. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

Jack doesn’t move. “Babe you’ve worked on this party for a month, no way we’re leaving early.”

“Fuck the party. It’s happening, my job is done, come on.”

Jack stands up, unsure, and Connor’s unsure too because this plan doesn’t go any further than them both sliding on coats over their costumes and walking down the street to where Connor’s car is parked.

Connor almost never drives them; Boston is Jack’s city, always and forever, and Connor is usually more than happy to sit in the passenger side with Jack’s hand resting on his thigh. But now he’s behind the wheel, and he has no fucking clue where to go.

So he drives. The traffic is worse than it would normally be on a Friday, but only marginally because it’s late enough that people are clearing out. Connor glances at the clock, and it reads 11:30, meaning that in 30 minutes Jack’s birthday is going to be properly over.

Connor pulls into the Target parking lot almost on instinct, the familiarity taking hold of his scattered thoughts until he finds himself in a parking spot with no idea what he’s doing.

He turns to Jack, “I’m- I don’t know where to go.”

“Kinda figured that out,” Jack says, “but we don’t need to go anywhere. We don’t need to do anything. I was more than happy to just spend my birthday being around you.”

Connor might cry. “I- fuck Jack, I love you so much, and it’s your fucking birthday and I forgot about it, and I have no plan, and I don’t even know because I’m supposed to be the one that’s attentive to detail and who sweats the small stuff, but I can’t even remember my boyfriend’s birthday, and now we’re sitting in a fucking parking lot, and you’re the one comforting me.” 

Connor looks up at Jack, and he’s frozen. Then suddenly he’s blinking his eyes a few times like he’s come back to life.

“I love you too, fuck,” he’s saying and leaning across the dash to get at Connor, and only then does Connor realize what he’s said, but before he can dwell on it, Jack has his hands on him.

Connor loves Jack, and Jack loves him back, and Connor might spend the next month trying to make this up to Jack, but none of it really matters because they love each other, and it’s enough for now.

“Know what I want from you for my birthday?” Jack says, pulling away.

“What?” Connor asks. “Anything.”

“Take me to my dorm, take off that stupid fucking jersey, and wake up with me in the morning. We can get breakfast.”

Connor nods. “Yeah okay.”

He puts the car in drive and heads back to campus.

At a red light he says, “Happy birthday.”

Jack says, “Love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> HBD Jack I guess ahahahaha. If you liked it, please please leave a comment below! They mean the absolute world to me :)


End file.
